Dog Beaten, Left For Dead In Atlanta Park; Arrest Made

As Murphy the dog continues to recover in a DeKalb County animal hospital, authorities arrested a man they said beat the dog with a hammer and left him for dead in Murphy Candler Park.

DeKalb police spokeswoman Kiesha Williams said Joseph Waters, 48, was taken into custody Wednesday shortly after questioning and charged with one count of felony cruelty to animals.

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Robert Kennedy found Murphy while walking his own dogs in the park.

He told Channel 2 Action News that the dog was wrapped in a blanket, but not far away was a hammer with blood on the handle.

"Whoever did this to a dog is just awful," Kennedy said.

The dog did not have a collar or a microchip. So the doctors at VCA Pets are People Too, an animal hospital about a mile from the park, named him Murphy for the park where he was found.

The hospital's Dr. Stephen Pope said Murphy has a fractured skull and will likely lose his left eye, but he is hopeful about his recovery. Provided Murphy is stable, he hopes to operate Wednesday.

SLIDESHOW: Dog Recovers After Beating